St Clement Church Community Remembrance Sunday Service 2023
Good morning to you, as we join together in our church building or at home, to commemorate Remembrance Sunday. On Saturday 11th at 11am a wreath laying service will take place at St Clement War Memorial. Our service on Sunday 12th will begin at the later time of 10.45.
May Christ’s love sustain you this day and always.
Much love and God Bless, Rev Di and family xx
The Greeting
What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
We meet in the presence of God;
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Hymn; ‘O God our help in ages past’
We gather this morning in penitence and faith, to pray for reconciliation between nations, that all people may, together live in freedom,
justice and peace. We pray for all who in bereavement, disability and pain, continue to suffer the consequences of fighting and terror.
We remember with thanksgiving and sorrow those whose lives in world wars and conflicts past and present, have been given and taken away.
Hymn; ‘O Valiant Hearts’
Act of Remembrance
As usual today on Remembrance Sunday, The Anglican Society for the Welfare of Animals will hold a special service at the Animals War Memorial in London at 3.00pm to honour the animals who ‘also served’ but ‘had no choice’. During the Battle of the Somme in WW1, 9 million horses, donkeys and mules died. Many of those not killed on the battlefields were slaughtered for food after the war – some reward for faithful service. The many service dogs were either abandoned or shot, and the carrier pigeons were also despatched. War Dogs continue to serve in the military and many lose their lives during their protection duties.
The Royal British Legion now recognise the service of animals in war, and support the laying of wreaths to commemorate those lives lost.
A picture of the wreath laid today in church will be sent to the head offices of both societies as a recognition that we at St Clement have remembered 'those who also served in human conflict’
Let us remember before God and commend to His safe keeping,
those who have died for their country in war; those whom we knew, and whose memory we treasure, and all who have lived and died
in the service of the peoples of the world.
The Laying of the Wreaths
(Red Poppy, and Purple)
‘They shall not grow old as we who are left, grow old, age shall not weary them, nor, the years condemn, at the going down of the sun, and in the morning, we will remember them.’
We will remember them.
The Last Post
(Followed by 2 minutes silence)
The Reveille
Prayer of Commemoration
Let us pray; Ever-living God, we remember all those whom you have gathered from the storm of war into the peace of your presence; may that same peace calm our fears, bring justice to all peoples and establish harmony among the nations, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Almighty and Eternal God, from whose love in Christ we cannot be parted, either by death or life: hear our prayers and thanksgivings
for all whom we remember this day; fulfil in them the purpose of your love; and bring us all, with them, to your eternal joy;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
“The Soldier” Rupert Brooke
If I should die, think only this of me:
that there’s some corner of a foreign field
that is forever England.
There shall be in that rich earth a richer dust concealed;
a dust whom England bore, shaped,
made aware, gave once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam.
A body of England’s, breathing English air,
washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home.
And think, this heart, all evil shed away,
a pulse in the eternal mind,
no less gives somewhere back the thoughts by England given;
her sights and sounds; dreams happy as her day;
and laughter, learnt of friends;
and gentleness, in hearts at peace, under an English heaven.
The National Anthem
God save our gracious King,
Long live our noble King,
God save the King.
Send him victorious,
Happy and glorious,
Long to reign over us,
God save the King.
God bless our native land,
May heaven’s protective hand
Still guard our shore.
May peace his power extend,
Foe be transformed to friend
And Britain’s rights depend
On war no more.
Not in this land alone
But be God's mercies known
From shore to shore.
Lord make the nations see
That men should brothers be;
And form one family
The wide world o’er.
Act of Penitence
Let us confess to God the sins and shortcomings of the world;
its pride, its selfishness, its greed; its evil divisions and hatreds.
Let us confess our share in what is wrong, and our failure to seek and establish that peace which God wills for all his children.
Most merciful God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
we confess that we have sinned in thought, word and deed.
We have not loved you with our whole heart.
We have not loved our neighbours as ourselves.
In your mercy forgive what we have been,
help us to amend what we are, and direct what we shall be;
that we may do justly, love mercy,
and walk humbly with you, our God. Amen.
Absolution
Almighty God, who forgives all who truly repent, have mercy upon us, pardon and deliver us from all our sins, confirm and strengthen us in all goodness, and keep us in life eternal; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Collect
Let us pray: Almighty Father,
whose will is to restore all things in your beloved Son, the King of all;
govern the hearts and minds of those in authority, and bring the family of the nations, divided and torn apart by the ravages of sin, to be subject to His just and gentle rule; who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Readings
1 Thessalonians 4. 13-end
But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who have died, so that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have died. For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will by no means precede those who have died. For the Lord himself, with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call and with the sound of God’s trumpet, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will be with the Lord for ever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.
This is the word of the Lord.
(Thanks be to God)
Gospel Matthew 25.1-13
Hear the Gospel of our Lord according to Matthew
(Glory to you, O Lord)
Jesus said: ‘Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept.
But at midnight there was a shout, “Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.” Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the wise, “Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.” But the wise replied, “No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.”
And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, “Lord, lord, open to us.” But he replied, “Truly I tell you, I do not know you.” Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
This is the Gospel of the Lord. (Praise to you, O Christ)
Reflection
This year marks the 84th anniversary of the loss of HMS Royal Oak.
She was one of the five Revenge-class battleships built for the Royal Navy during the First World War, the last battleship to be built at Devonport dockyard, Plymouth. Launched in 1914, and completed in 1916, Royal Oak first saw combat at the Battle of Jutland as part of the Grand Fleet. In peacetime, she served in the Atlantic, Home, and Mediterranean fleets, more than once coming under accidental attack.
On the 14th of October, 1939, Royal Oak was anchored at Scapa Flow, in Orkney, Scotland, when she was torpedoed by the German submarine, U-47.
Of Royal Oak’s crew of 1,234, of which 835 in total were killed that night, included 92 Royal Marines, and 170 boy sailors aged between 14 and 18 years old, of whom 135 died, and at that time, the 2nd World war was just six weeks old. Fortunately there were 420 survivors, thanks mainly to the heroic work of the skipper and crew of a small tender; Daisy 2.
No more than 100 feet long and just 15 feet wide, she managed to rescue 386 men and boys from the icy, oil covered waters of Scapa Flow in total darkness during the early hours after the attack.
Some of those rescued died of their wounds, and they are buried in the Royal Naval cemetery at Lyness on the nearby island of Hoy, and a remembrance plaque was placed on the wall of St Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall, the capital of Orkney.
Royal Oak’s bell was added to this display when it was found by Royal Navy divers in the 1970’s, and a copper plate book lists the names of all those who lost their lives that night, and to this day, every Monday a page is turned in remembrance.
Before the sinking of Royal Oak, the Royal Navy had considered the naval base at Scapa Flow impregnable to submarine attack, and U-47’s raid demonstrated that the German Navy was capable of bringing the war to British home waters. The shock resulted in rapid changes to dockland security and the construction of barriers around Scapa Flow.
The wreck of Royal Oak, a designated war grave, lies almost upside down in 100 feet of water, with her hull 16 feet beneath the surface. A wreck buoy marks her hazard to shipping.
In an annual ceremony to mark the loss of the ship, Royal Naval divers place a White Ensign underwater at her stern. Each year, they, along with members of the British Legion and folk connected with Royal Oak, go out by boat to the wreck buoy on the anniversary of her loss and a service is held over the water. Wreaths are laid and the Royal Naval divers descend to the wreck to remove the previous year’s flag, and raise a new one in remembrance of those who lost their lives.
The tragic loss of Royal Oak brought a long-term benefit to Orkney as the decision was made by the Admiralty in 1940, to build permanent barriers across the Eastern entrances to secure the Naval Base of Scapa Flow. These became known as the Churchill Barriers which took four years to build, most of the hard work being carried out willingly, and with pride, by Italian prisoners of war. As a memorial of their time in Orkney, they converted a Nissan hut into a moving tribute to Royal Oak using only discarded materials. Paper was painted to resemble solid stone, old metal was reformed into an altar screen, and brass turned into candle holders. And to this day, every year a special Mass is celebrated in the chapel on the nearest Sunday to the anniversary of the sinking of Royal Oak.
The 61st anniversary of Royal Oak’s sinking saw a unique event in naval history, when the Ministry of Defence granted a special permission for the ashes of Dorothy Golding, wife of Bandsman Arthur Golding, who went down with the ship, to be placed in the wreck.
Dorothy never remarried after the tragedy and mourned her husband for 61 years. She died on Remembrance Day, 1999, aged 94, and her family requested permission to reunite the couple once again.
Previously, ashes have been scattered on the water over the wreck, but this was the first time the MOD had allowed such a burial on a recognised war grave anywhere in the world. A service of remembrance was held at sea, and a specially weighted casket containing Dorothy’s ashes was taken down to Royal Oak, and placed in the wreck at 70 feet deep, by her grandson, Christopher, a qualified scuba diver, accompanied by Royal Naval divers, laying her to rest with her beloved husband, never to be parted again. The last survivor of the loss of Royal Oak passed away in 2016, but the memory of the ship and her crew is maintained by the HMS Royal Oak Association.
The anniversary of the sinking of Royal Oak is also a poignant time for my family. My sister’s husband lost his father that night.
James Lawrence Wormald was born on the 11th of May, 1901, in Southwark London. During his childhood he was brought up on Malpas farm, not a farm close to us here as we might believe by the name, but near the village of Theale in Berkshire. James enlisted in the Royal Navy when he was 16 years old, and joined the training ship HMS Impregnable. He served on HMS Warspite as both Boy and Ordinary Seaman, and was made up to Able Seaman in February 1920.
He received Good Conduct and Long Service Medals in 1934, and served on a variety of Royal Navy ships until he joined Royal Oak in July 1939. 3 months later he died. The saddest thing being that his wife, Rose, was expecting a baby, and James died without knowing that his son, my brother-in-Law, Tony Royal would be born 4 months later.
In tribute to Royal Oak, Eileen Mahoney wrote this following poem entitled;
‘In Waters Deep’
In ocean wastes no poppies blow,
No crosses stand in ordered row.
Their young hearts sleep beneath the wave,
The spirited, the good, the brave.
But stars a constant vigil keep,
For them who lie beneath the deep.
Tis true you cannot kneel in prayer
On certain spot and think; ‘He’s there.’
But you can to the ocean go,
See whitecaps marching row on row.
Know one for him will always ride,
In and out with every tide.
And when your span of life has passed,
He’ll meet you at the ‘captain’s mast’,
And they who mourn on distant shore
For sailors who’ll come home no more,
Can dry their tears and pray for these
Who rest beneath the heaving seas.
For stars that shine and winds that blow,
And whitecaps marching row on row,
And they can never lonely be,
For when they lived they chose the sea. Amen.
Act of Commitment
Let us pledge ourselves anew to the service of God and our fellow men and women: that we may help, encourage and comfort others, and support those working for the relief of the needy and for the peace and welfare of the nations.
Lord God our Father, we pledge ourselves to serve you in the cause of peace, for the relief of want and suffering, and for the praise of your name. Guide us by your Spirit; give us wisdom; give us courage; give us hope; and keep us faithful now and always. Amen.
Hymn ‘Eternal Father strong to save’
Our Intercessions are written by Liz Davies
Let us pray: Ever-living God, we remember those whom you have gathered from the storm of war into the peace of your presence; may that same peace calm our fears, bring justice to all peoples, and establish harmony to all nations.
Father of all, remember your holy promise and look with love on all your people living and departed. On this day we especially ask that you hold forever all who have suffered during war, those who returned scarred by warfare, those who waited anxiously at home, and those who returned home wounded and disillusioned; those who mourned and those communities that were diminished and suffered loss. Remember too, those who acted with kindly compassion, those who bravely risked their own lives for their comrades, and those in the aftermath of war, who worked tirelessly for a more peaceful world. As you remember them, remember us, O Lord; grant us peace in our time and a longing for the day when people of every language, race and nation will be brought into the unity of Christ’s kingdom.
Lest we forget, lest we forget:
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer
As we remember those from bygone wars, we remember those who are suffering from war now. We pray for the people of Ukraine, Israel and Gaza, and all those in other war-torn areas of the world.
We pray for peace and the laying down of weapons. We pray for all those who fear for tomorrow, that your Spirit of comfort may draw near to them. We pray for those with power over war or peace, for wisdom, discernment, and compassion to guide their decisions.
Above all, we pray for all the innocent children, at risk and in fear; please hold and protect them.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer
Lord, help us to waste none of today’s hours and to miss none of today’s opportunities. Thank you for the gifts you have given us – individually and collectively – and help us to use them to further your Kingdom here on earth. Eyes to see and perceive, ears to hear and listen, hands to work and create, minds to think and innovate, memories to remember and learn from, hearts to love and worship.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer
Lord, we pray for our community: For healthcare and social workers in their mission to improve the wellbeing of those who are sick and unwell. For those in the armed forces as they prepare for their next challenges in a dangerous world. For volunteers, carers and those who undertake work for which they are not paid. For our church today and in the coming weeks as we discern your will. Lord, guide and inspire our community, in all we do this week, and in the weeks to come.
Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer
Lord, we pray for all who are sick, in body, mind or spirit, for those who are in trouble and fear, for those who are anxious because someone is ill or in pain, for those who are lonely. Lord, bless: Those who are tired because they have too much to do. Those who are struggling with financial problems. Those who are unhappy because of unkind words or actions. Lord, surround those in need with your wisdom, your Spirit, your healing, and your life-giving peace. We especially remember, at this time: Reverend Di and Ken, Alison and Rob, Terry and Dot, Margaret, Maureen, Brian, Rupert and Linda, Jan, Stephen, Mary, those known to each of us and those who have no one to pray for them.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer
Lord, welcome into your eternal kingdom, all those who have died. We know that they are safe in your hands but we ask your blessing on all who are grieving the loss of loved ones. Lord, we thank you for this moment, this place, and this world. We give ourselves to you. Take us out – as changed people. Ask much of us, expect much of us. Living Lord, accept our lives and accept our prayers this day and every day. You have the words of eternal life and in you we trust.
Merciful Father, accept these prayers in the name of your Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
Gathering our prayers and praise into one, let us pray as our Saviour taught us. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Hymn; ‘He who would valiant be’
Blessing
God grant to the living grace, to the departed rest,
to the Church, and all humanity, unity, peace and concord;
and to us and all God’s servants, life everlasting; and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among us those whom we love, and remain with us always. Amen.
'When you go home, tell them of us and say,
for their tomorrow, we gave our today'.